The Daebrien Chronicles
by Whichi
Summary: Dragonborn, Thane of Solitude, has retrieved the Blade of Gales, trekked through bandit infested lands, but now an even more dangerous adversary awaits. (Female Dragonborn)
1. Chapter 1

Icy cold winds did not seem to affect the young woman as she walked through the snow, her Nord blood helped greatly to ease the sting of perpetual winter. Behind her trailed a crimson cape, edged in gold with a black wolfs head stitched onto it. Brekahn Daebrien, Thane of Solitude walked swiftly through the light, powder snow, stopping only at the top of the large mountain to observe the shrine of Azura that crested the opposite peak. Long ginger hair flowed out from under her iron helm, and sky blue eyes glinted in the setting sun. Light fractured into the sky as night and day fought for power, though it was inevitable that the black abyss would win this round.

A small whinny caught the warrior's attention, her brown gelding stood a few feet away. He whinnied again, shook his head, and then blew through his nose. Atronach's flaxen mane and tail were knotted with clumps of ice, and his thick fur was snow covered. Brekahn looked back to the twilight queen and then turned to face the rising moons, their glow already visible in through the faint, dancing, Arora. Woman and steed stood together for a time, until the warrior turned and began to make her way down the opposite side of the mountain from which she had come.

The slope on this side was, thankfully, nowhere near as severe as the previous trek had been, yet still the two had to focus greatly on where they placed their feet for fear of hitting a snow covered crevice, or worse, hitting a patch of invisible ice. Once the two reached the base of the mountain, the moons had already risen into the sky and the sun was nowhere to be seen. Dark creatures with blood soaked fangs would soon be prowling the forest, with this in mind, Brekahn mounted up and began to ride for Winterhold.

In the short trip form the Shrine of Azura to Winterhold, the desolate icy land yielded only 2 ice fox; the pelts of which she could sell for a few septums. The College rose from the horizon, a shadow cast against the starry night. The young rider slowed her mount to a walk as they entered the capital of Winterhold. No one walked the streets at this time of night, the town's scant inhabitance tucked away into their homes. No, the only business still open was The Frozen Hearth. It was here that Brekahn stopped and dismounted, handing her horse off to a teenager that worked the stalls.

Warmth emanated from the large fire pit set in the middle of the stone and wood building. Most of the patrons to the inn were asleep, or passed out drunk in their seats; that was one of the only problems with the cold temperatures, people resort to alcohol as a means of staying warm.

"Brek, good to see you again! Did you find what you were searching for?" The bar keep, Dagur, greeted the warrior-maid while wiping down his counter. The blond Nord had not aged well, and the stress of the lack of business and money flow was obvious in his strained features.

"Yes, finally my ventures have proven fruitful. The Sword of the Gale if finally mine!" Brekahn drew the enchanted Ebony sword from her belt. It glowed with a slight blue tinge, the blade itself ice cold. The two marveled at it, how long it had taken the warrior to procure; but it was worth it.

"That blade will serve you well. I must admit I know not of such weapons, but I have a good feeling about it." The barkeep smiled and slapped Brek on her shoulder. "A room for the night? This ones on the house."

"Thank you, Dagur. You've been a good friend to me." She smiled and sheathed the blade. As she stood, the sudden weight of the day's adventure hit her like a horse. Her legs felt weak, her arms limp, and her head pounded faintly. "Yes, yes it is time for sleep." She smiled weakly and waved at Dagur before closing the door to her room.

The small bedroom held a bookcase, nightstand, chest, and bed. It wasn't much, but it was the bed she'd been sleeping in for the past 2 weeks. The quest for the Sword of the Gale had not been a short one. Across the country she'd traveled from her home of Falkreath, to the icy regions of the north in search of this mysterious and powerful blade.

All that was over now, thankfully. She could sleep in peace knowing that the sword was in her possession. Sleep she did, after laying her armor on the chest, and crawling into the warm blankets, Brekahn closed her eyes and shut the rest of the world out. Sleep came slow, painfully slow, but when it did she was out like a candle in the wind.


	2. Chapter 2

_Grey shadows danced before Brekahns eyes, vision zooming in and out of focus, ears ringing loudly. She floated through the grey and black spirals, unable to feel, see, or move her body, secluded to her mind. Strange as her surroundings were, the more intimidating fact was that they were being summoned by her own inner consciousness, being made from her own worst fears being exploited in ways no other enemy would know to do._

_Without warning, she was thrust back into her own, the pit of her stomach dropped and the world rushed up around her. She was fell through the shadows, the wind knocked out of her by her sudden break into the fall. Cliffs rose up next to her, their faces jagged with veins of snow white rock that stuck out at deadly angles. Brekahn fell just far enough away from the cliff faces to avoid being impaled by their spiny rock daggers._

_ Transparent beings dove towards her face as she howled a silent scream, their razor claws stretched out in an attempt to maul the woman. This couldn't be what death looked like. Sovngarde was the realm of the gods, not this foreboding incarnate of her deepest fears. Death was meant to be the release into the one true palace of peace, not a dimension of malevolence incarnate. Terror struck her heart and soul, when would this suffering end? When would she be freed of this horrible place?_

_ The ever slight pressure on her left shoulder was hard to feel through the agonizing windburn that stung any and all exposed skin as she tumbled downward, no end in sight. What was more curious was that there was nothing but the wind touching her; the ghouls that chased her decent remained just outside of reach._

_ "Wake up, Brek, wake up!" The gravely words seemed to fly with the gales around her. Suddenly the voice became more clear, "Wake up." The pressure on her shoulder increased. Quickly, the biting winds and dreadful apparitions were replaced with empty darkness; as was the spinous marble cliff face. Sheer black consumed her until her mind could bear no more._

**A/N: So second chapter! I know it's really short and I'm not going to make excuses as to why, but the next chapter will make up for it. Anyway, special thanks to IThinkIAmAnOwl for the review! Knowing what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong is a quintessential part of getting better at my craft.** **Next chapter will most likely be out in a week and will hopefully be longer. Hopefully… hehe… **

**This chapter was fun for me because it really let me develop a character with her own inner turmoil. I have a basic plotline in my head but a lot of it is open to suggestion from readers. I want my audience to have a part in making this story, and I want you guys to have fun reading it as much as I'm having a kick and giggle writing. **

**TL/DR: Next chapter out ~ Monday-Wednesday, plot suggestions welcomed.**

**As always; have fun, write on!**

** -Whichi**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So as promised, this chapter will be longer. I've tried my hardest to keep it in the same range of quality as my previous chapter. I apologize in advance if this chapter is released after my 1-20-14 to 1-22-14 release range, for this I will say nothing more than I am currently in school, and with school comes unpredictable schedules. This chapter was a lot harder for me to write due to its length and the amount of physical space Brekahn needs to cover (I'm horrible with "Travel Scenes," quite honestly inner character development scenes are my forte), but thank you to IThinkIAmAnOwl for helping me kinda set a main goal for the plot, before my plan was to just write with no end in mind (and that never ends well).**

** I hope you enjoy this chapter and please I beg of you to give feedback as to if the longer chapters are better, or if I should stick to my previous shorter ones. To help with this I've included a *** break where ever I would begin/end the new/old chapter. Just be warned, longer chapters will mean a longer time in-between release dates.**

Amber rays shot through the sky when Brekahn left The Frozen Hearth for the last time, her trek back to Solitude had begun. The gods must have taken pity on her, snow still fell, but the wind was absent. Her trip would take her through Dawnstar, following the shoreline of the Sea of Ghosts, and then home. With luck she would make it home in one day, but if the weather near Dawnstar was poor, she would have to lay over there. Brekahn decided to stay off the main roads, which were usually brimming with Bandits and thieves. The chilled air burned when she inhaled but soon subsided as her body acclimated to the temperature.

Atronach's ears perked when her master walked into the stables. The stable-boy hard at work saddling the chestnut war-horse. Huffles came from the big gelding, he obviously wanted to get moving as much as Brekahn. Just as the lad was finishing with the girth, her mount stomped his front hoof, just barely missing the bare feet of the teenage boy. She chuckled and tossed the lad a few septums for his hard work. Atronach seemed to calm down when his rider neared his head. She kissed the rosy velvet nose of her steed before leading him from the wood stall. Metal hissed into place as the steel sword and dagger into the sheaths attached to her saddle, her more precious cargo belted to the bare skin of her waist under her tunic and multitude of jackets.

Headlong, the duo set off into the morning blaze of light reflecting off the snow. Grand, shod, hooves thundering over dirt and stone. Once they were out of eye shot of the town, they reigned back to the trot and headed off the road into the snow, Atronach's strong legs breaking through the snow. This drew a chuckle out of Brekahn as she was reminded of the day she first met the gelding. At the time, he was a bright, but hefty, 3 year-old with an intelligence beyond his years. She had found him at the Solitude stables and purchased him the next day.

Over the next five years the team had formed an unbreakable bond that can only exist between horse and rider. By this time, they had explored almost all of Skyrim, from Markarth, to Whiterun, to Windhelm. Finally, the dip in the shoreline turned upwards and their path began to head northwest towards Dawnstar Hold. Slowly but surely, the wind picked up as they approached the small town. As she rode north, so did the sun, high into the sky the orange orb rose.

Dawnstar was a sad, dreary little town filled with meek grey people, and pathetic rainy shacks. Crotchety, old, Skald the Elder himself lived in a common wood long house. Akatosh had blessed her with quick passage through the Pale; reaching Dawnstar by noon, she could reach Solitude slightly after nightfall. Navigation of Dunstad Grove would be difficult; they could go around it yet arrive long after dusk had passed, or the team could pass through the treacherous bog. No, Brekahn would never risk the life of her faithful mount to save daylight.

Night shrouded the sky, light emanating from the luminescent stars and glowing moons. In the distance Brekahn glimpsed Dragon Bridge, a quaint little town shadowed by the ornate bridge it held over the Karth River. Solitude was a mere quarter days ride from here but with the moons already high in the sky, bandits would sure be crawling out of whatever dingy hole in the ground they sought shelter in.

Dragon Bridge was a nice enough little settlement and Four Shields Tavern was a nice enough little inn. Atronach, once again, was handed off to a stable girl, untacked, and given hay and water. The Warrior Maid smiled and nodded recognition to the teenaged girl before heading into the warmth of the Inn. _Thank the gods… _Brekahn thought as her eyes fell upon the not-quite-bustling-but-more-active-than-Winterhold tavern.

"The names Corpulus Vinius, anything I can do for you, madam?" The Barkeep questioned her when she perched herself at the counter.

"Mead will do for now, and I'll want a room for tonight." She added quickly.

"Her' ya're, Ma'am" A woman, must have been Vinius's wife, handed the younger lass a bottle from Honninhbrew Meadery. In one fluid movement, a Cold Steel dagger was brought from under the Thanes long, traveling coat, the tip dug into the quark that sealed the dagger and leveraged the obstruction out from the bottle. After a long gulp from the bottle, Brekahn placed it back on the counter. "Y'r room's right b'hind ya," Vinius's wife spoke again. She was thanked graciously for her service before left in favor of a warm bed.

_"Brek'n," A voice called to her, "'M over here," Scorched earth stretched out around her as far as the eye could see. "Come t' me, Thane of Solitude… Dragonborn… Daughter of Skyrim." Earth stretched around her but there was not a soul to be seen. The voice was slightly familiar but she couldn't quite place where she had heard it before; one of the Mages form Winterhold? Maybe it was one of the captains from the Kings Own? No, none of them possessed the accent of the speaker; an Eastern Accent, native to the Stormcloaks, and those under their occupation. "Run… They come by night… Attacking yet unmoving… Too weak… To afraid…" Roughness and depth told Brekahn that the speaker was male, but apart from that… wait… could this be? This was the voice that had called her form the previous night's horrors. The one that had spoken to her during her decent into the abyss. She couldn't tell from where the voice came, but it sounded as though it was fading, fading away from every direction at the same time. Had her legs not been locked in place by some unmovable force, she would have run after it. _

_ "Run… They come at night… Look to the stars… Find me."_

Harsh light rushed in from the window to her eyes when she woke to find her hand clutched over her erratic heart. _Run… They come at night… Look to the stars… Find me. _The words echoed in her head. None of this made any sense, did the prophet speak of the Dark Brotherhood? That can't be right considering her ties to them. The Thieves Guild did not pose much of a threat due to their own ties to the Dark Brotherhood.

For a long while Brekahn sat there contemplating who the prophet could possibly be. She had narrowed it down to a court mage, not one from the College, male, most likely a Nord living in Windhelm or Riften; no, more likely Windhelm than the latter. A man with a deeper voice than most, older maybe? Age could sometimes be told from voice, speech patterns, shortened phrasing, such of the like. Yet this man spoke as any other Eastern Nord would, there was nothing too special about is accent.

Slowly she rose, it was well into the morning hours, and her destination was not far off, but that stopped her naught from hurriedly packing and setting off at a brisk pace. This close to Solitude, the roads were patrolled regularly by Imperial soldiers, as of this, Brekahn decided she and Atronach would take the shorter, direct, rode home, instead of diverting their course.

Every once in a while they would pass a Guard, who would stop and bow to her with the obligatory 'Lady Daebrien, welcome home.' She, in turn would bow form the saddle, 'As you were,' was the reply. Atronach's ears pricked up when he glanced the city over a rise. As the two approached the main gate, he became more and more giddy.

"Looks like he wants to go see his friends." Katla noted as they rode past. Brekahn laughed and nodded.

"That he does."

The Thane of Solitude entered her hold after Atronach had been let out to graze with his friends in the enclosed pasture behind the stables. Few took notice of her as they hustled down the streets, into and out of shops. Making her way up the steps to where General Tullius waited inside the map room, she marveled at the city she called home, how electric the aura was, yet how tranquil the people themselves were.

"General, the blade you asked retrieved." She presented the magnificent dagger to him, the Light blue stone in the hilt glowed in the torchlight. "I hope that blade is worth the trouble I had to go through to acquire it." She joked with the Military head of the Imperial Army.

"Oh trust me on this Thane… it is… it most definitely is." He took the Blade form my hands. "You have done well, you've helped the Imperial Army in ways you don't even know." His words took on a darker tone in her mind as Brekahn remembered what the prophet had told her… _They come at night… _and …_Run…_ Quickly she shoved the thoughts form her mind, she was as safe as she'd ever be within the walls.

** A/N: …Or is she? Dun DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNNN! Ohhh cliffhangers, the bane of my existence but I need time to think. This is a slightly unfinished chapter and I apologize, no excuses. The next chapter will be a "tie 'em up" chapter for this part of the story. In my mind, I'm dividing the story into Parts then Chapters this obviously being part 1. **

** I told you that chapter 3 would be longer and so it is. The total word count for the story is 1528 words, It's almost 3 pages in Word (Calibri .11) … Sorry for the little rant just wanted to prove that it was longer. Hopefully the next chapter will be out sometime mid-late next week (January 28****th****-30****th**** 2014) but, if I get a sudden burst of inspiration, it will be out sooner. (Don't bet on it.) Thank you for all the reviews, again, they are a real help! **

** TL/DR: Next chapter out ~ Tuesday-Friday, suggestions/reviews/recommendations welcomed!**

**As always; have fun, write on!**

**-Whichi**


	4. Chapter 4

** A/N: So this chapter, as previously stated, is going to be the last chapter in Part 1 of this series. Once it's uploaded, I will be going on a 1-2 week break to get a head start on Part 2 (that is if I can possibly tear myself away from the computer). I was tempted to write this chapter is in first person for the soul reason that I need to show the inner turmoil in a way more active than third person will allow, but ultimately decided not to, if you guys want to see a first person chapter, just give me a shout and I'll get right on it. I'm not quite sure what or where I'm going to go/do after this part so some plot suggestions would be greatly appreciated.**

Night approached too quickly, the sun cast shadows that normally crept along, agonizingly slow, now sped with the haste of Atronach. Brekahn sat before the main hearth in Proudspire Manor, the warmth that brushed her skin was still not enough to keep the chill out of her mind. The Prophet from last night dreams still haunted her waking hours, as much as she tried to shove the voice from her thoughts. _Don't let some stupid dream shroud your views of what is true, _she scolded herself.

_Olive skin, coated lightly in black paint, moved with ease through the blackness of night. Rektaks movements we're soundless in the quiet pre-dawn, leather sandals made no sound against the dewy grass._

_ "Rektak," The silence was broken by a tall lithe wood elf. "What is near?" Without hesitation, the slim Nords magic spilled into this world, light blue swirls lit up sharp, defined features, and dull bronze eyes. The spell turned black as it hit the ground, spreading quickly into thin, nearly invisible black tendrils that shot out in search of life. Rektaks mind's eye showed him the glowing red form that was his company, Ilyur, a few birds that took flight over head, and a deer less than 20 strides away. This, however, was not the duos target; tonight the hunted mere trails and rumors._

_ Rektak shook his head, signaling that he had found nothing. Long silver hair flew behind Ilyur as the elf barged past. "This is useless we're chasing out tails with no real direction!" ashen brown hands shot into the air. "How are we supposed to help her? She's the god's blessed Thane of Solitude, we wouldn't be able to make it within 50 strides of the gate without becoming the guard's new favorite pin-cushion!"_

_Viridian eyes bored into the young ranger. Rektak looked back without any concern or hesitation, knowing if it indeed did come to taking on the Empires archers, the two Crimson Order members would easily be able to defend themselves. Yet the moment they entered the keep, they would be assailed by more soldiers than any two men would be able to handle._

"_This is why we will wait for her to come to us."_

** A/N: I truly apologize for the extremely late update date, I meant to update last week Sunday but I became ill, and then had to make up missed work from school. I know it isn't much of an excuse but it's what happened. This is the official end to Part 1 and I know that its short but there isn't much more I can add without having this part go on forever. The next update will be out soon and it will be longer. This part was the most fun for me to write because, hey, new characters! I'm super excited to write and evolve Rektak and Ilyur, they will be influential and reoccurring characters.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Screw schedules, I've decided I'm going to upload when I want, as frequently as I want and as long as I want. It not your guy's fault, but I have a lot going on with school and other commitments right now so I need to put those before writing fanfiction. Sorry.**

Brekahn slipped into unconsciousness almost the second her head hit the small pillow on her bed. The warm sheepskin blanket wrapped tight around her, she had locked her door, blocked her window, and held her sky forge dagger in her left hand under her pillow. On her nightstand rested her travel packs, still packed due to her lack of drive. She was typically a light sleeper but after the long trip from Winterhold, she sleep deeply, swimming in seas of darkness.

Outside her door, three men stood, waiting to make sure the Thane was asleep. Slowly and cautiously the lead assassin picked the lock and easily opened the door. Padded feet slid over the hard wood floor, making no sound. Within Brekahns mind, she felt a twinge, a sort of alarm warning her that her room was being invaded. Wakefulness rushed to her, yet she kept her eyes shut tight, not moving, focusing on her breath.

When she felt a hand lift the blanket, the steel dagger flew out and blood splattered onto the woman. Leaping out of bed, clothed in leather pants and a black cloth tunic, she ripped the blade from her first attacker. The second and third raised their weapons in reaction to their leaders fall. The burlier of the two, however, was not fast enough to evade a fast dagger to the throat. Dashing to her nightstand and then out the door, the woman grabbed for the bag that held nothing more than a change of clothes, her notebook, and other bare essentials.

Down the hall Brekahn ran, full sprint, legs extending to make the most of her tall stature and long, strong legs. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she burst through the front door to her house to be greeted by a small squadron of guards. She didn't have time to question why they we're attacking her, she needed to get out of Solitude. The fastest way out would be through the docks, there she could wrap around the outside of the wall.

When she reached the gate that lead out to the frigid wharf, she had lost her pursues in the streets, but there stood a team of imperial soldiers. At their helm; General Tullius.

"Sir, what is going on?" she was surrounded, a hare encircled by hungry sabre cats. "What is this?"

"My little Brek, how far you've come, from a prisoner on the block to Thane of Solitude, but my fair, innocent, girl, you have simply grown too powerful. There are those within the Empire who fear that you are rising too quickly and want it taken care of." The gold armored leader boasted, his men, the men she'd led countless times into battle, now raised their swords on her. A deep churning in her gut told her what she needed to do, get through the gate and run. She knew even through her grasp of magic was light, the small wave of energy she sent out during the chase would be enough to alert Atronach to the impending danger, hopefully the war horse would get the clue and had already started running; she would worry about finding him once she had secured her own life.

"Sir, please," The amber eyed, greying man just laughed.

"Here I stand with the Dragonborn before me, pleading for her life!" He continued to laugh but never took his eyes off her. Again her stomach lurched and she took a deep breath. _You know what you have to do. Do it. _She ordered herself. She let out the breath and took another, equal, breath.

"_FUS…RO…DAH!" _The shout rang through the city, General Tullius and his soldiers flew back against the gate, it burst open and the group of men flew through it. Immediately she sprinted out and flanked the walls, too close for the archers to even attempt at her life. Arrows flew near her feet but none hit her. Down the steep hillside she ran and under the bridge to the water's edge. Arrows rained around her when she leaped into the icy cold green-grey water. One found her shoulder, she cried out and fell over, into water. As she sunk lower and lower, she saw arrows hit the water and sink along with her. Blood spread out around her, turning the muddy water a gross shade of brown-red.

_Well this is it. I'm done for… I hope you got out of there, Atronach, run, run for me and find someone who will love you as much as I do. Talos, watch over him. _Brekahn prayed to the god of war. _Mara guide him to love, guide him to peace and warmth. _She felt guilty for leaving the only being she had ever loved, her faithful steed was everything to her. Grey crept into the edges of her vision, it was pointless to move, the only thing that attempting to get to the other side of the lake would accomplish would to cause more blood loss and effectively kill her faster.

She felt hands grab her arms, maybe they would save her… _They'd only torture you_, with this thought she began to fight the hands but in her weakened strength, even her will to avoid torture couldn't save her from the man's strong grasp. She was being pulled away from shore, out into the middle of the lake and to the opposite shore, being brought up quickly to take gulps of air, then shoved back down into the dark water. The arrow lodged in her shoulder dragged through the water, Brekahn wanted to scream, wanted to rip her hands away, but couldn't.

Soon, she was dragged, coughing and screaming, up onto the shore opposite where she had entered. Whoever her savior was, he yanked her up and pulled her uninjured arm around his shoulders and grabbed around her back, clutching a handful of her shirt to hold her up. The man was obviously strong, very strong, to be able to carry the muscled warrior maid, he would have had to be.

"Shush, you're drawing attention," She would have frozen had she if she could have. Him. That Voice. It was the voice from her dream, telling her to beware. "Come on, we need to go." The young warrior stumbled over her own feet, but even that was better than being dragged along. They made it to the tree line before the barking of dogs reached their ears. "Ilyur, bring the horses!" The man yelled, she saw now in only shadows, her arm soaked in blood, yet luckily the arrow was lodged tight enough to somewhat plug the wound.

She felt herself being passed off to another, dryer, warmer, body that held her up tightly. "We ride for Windhelm." Brekahn herd the one who held her tell the other. The dogs were getting closer, their howls and shouts from masters became louder and louder. One of the two pushed her up as one pulled her uninjured arm to help her mount the horse. The man who rode behind her was careful to not touch the arrow that jutted from her shoulder blade. Instead he pushed her forward so that the center of her chest rested on his horse's neck. The warm man mounted up and took the reins from he who rode behind her, leading the horse beside them at a smooth trot.

"Will she be alright?" Suddenly a warmth enveloped her shoulder, the muscles relaxed, and Brekahn felt the blood stop flowing from the wound.

"I will do what I can but until we take rest in Whiterun, I will not be able to remove the arrow. I can force her into sleep and keep the blood from flowing but…" Her hearing dimmed and she was unable to catch the last of his sentence as she drifted into sleep once more.


End file.
